


Easy Living

by iqom



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Holidays, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, papyton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 14:19:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17102204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iqom/pseuds/iqom
Summary: A quiet, musical moment between lovers after a Christmas party.Here's my holiday gift for my lovely readers! <3





	Easy Living

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays, readers! In the Papyton discord I'm in, the mods have been hosting bi-weekly prompts, and this oneshot is serving as my submission. The prompt was, "How would the boys celebrate Christmas/the holidays?", and my answer to that is with a little holiday romance... Billie Holiday, that is.  
> Hope you enjoy!

“I didn’t know you play.”

Mettaton’s voice was tender, muted with fatigue after a long day of holiday festivities and warmed by the undoubtedly affectionate quality his voice had whenever he addressed Papyrus. Even still, it startled the skeleton, as he had been lost in a daydream (about Mettaton, incidentally) while letting his fingers wander around on the chipped ivory keys of Asgore’s old upright Steinway. He half-turned hastily on the piano bench, hitting a couple of discordant notes in his surprise as his hands jerked across a few black keys.

“I… I don’t! Not really, anyway. While I appreciate music, I don’t think playing instruments can be numbered with my multitude of strong suits!”  

Mettaton hummed softly as he slipped onto the wide bench next to Papyrus. “Oh, don’t be so modest, darling. Play something for me.”

Papyrus felt the swell of Mettaton’s soft hip against his own rather bony and angular one, and his body stiffened as he repressed what would have been a very obvious shudder of delight. This was the closest Papyrus had been in proximity to Mettaton that evening. Their relationship was still budding, the newness of it contributing to not only its intensity but also a desire for secrecy shared by both involved. They had feigned polite friendship during Asgore’s Christmas Eve party, chatting amiably, bringing each other drinks while casually avoiding the mistletoe. The heightening feelings between them were still so raw and fragile; they had gone from flirtatiousness to blissfully, passionately high stakes over the past few weeks, and both wanted to keep them as just theirs and no one else’s for the time being.

Now, though, the party’s energy had long since dwindled to a sleepy smolder like embers in a dying fire, the winding-down starting with Toriel taking Frisk home early for bed. Asgore retired to the kitchen to begin cleanup, Alphys and Undyne expressed desire to go on a romantic walk when snow began falling in earnest from the night sky (a walk which they both declared would only take ten minutes tops, but a half-hour had since gone by and there was still no sign of either of them), and Sans had-- of course-- fallen dead asleep at the dining table after one too many glasses of eggnog. Asgore’s quiet living room felt separate from the rest of the busy world, illuminated only by the winking lights wrapped around the Christmas tree, and the facade of polite distance Mettaton and Papyrus had been playing at that evening was rapidly melting away.

“What would you like to hear?” Papyrus asked, his normally squawky and commandeering voice uncharacteristically relaxed. His eyelights dimmed serenely in their sockets as the scent of Mettaton’s cologne enveloped him in a musky floral haze.

“Mm… play a holiday song.”

Papyrus considered this request in silence for a moment before raising his hands to the keys again, plunking out a clumsy melody.

“‘Easy Living’?”, Mettaton interrupted after a few measures. “That’s not a holiday song.”

“I know,” conceded Papyrus, a little bashful. “I, ah, don’t know any _holiday_ songs, so I figured Billie Holiday would be the next best thing?”

Mettaton laughed a genuine laugh-- as opposed to the charming little false chuckle he had coined over the years for interviews and schmoozing-- and Papyrus decided that sound was more gorgeous and musical than anything he could ever even dream of producing with an instrument. “Fair enough. God, you’re adorable.”

Papyrus turned back to the piano keys, unable to hide the deepening smile across his skinny teeth at the compliment. It was only a few seconds, however, before his browbone was furrowing with frustration as he attempted to stumble through a more difficult part in the song.

“B-flat, darling,” Mettaton corrected gently when Papyrus got especially stuck, fumbling around desperately for the correct note.

“ _Ugh,_ ” Papyrus sighed finally, tossing in the proverbial towel by throwing his hands dramatically up in the air, “Could you play it for me instead?”

“Sure,” Mettaton said, rising from the bench to switch places with Papyrus. “It’s a lovely song. You’ve got great taste.”

In any case, Papyrus much preferred to watch Mettaton in his element than attempt to play music himself. Mettaton began; his slender fingers traveled effortlessly across the keys like they were dancing ballroom, punctuating each delicate staccato and pedaling with expert precision. Not able to help himself, Papyrus reached forward and brushed his phalanges along the uppermost vent on Mettaton’s face, tucking his glossy forelock behind his ear; of course, it just stubbornly slipped back into place again, but Papyrus’ fingertips remained on Mettaton’s face, caressing his cheek beneath that sheet of hair. Mettaton smiled at Papyrus’ touch, playfully trilling a few notes with one hand in thanks.

“You know the lyrics?” Mettaton asked suddenly.

“Yeah,” Papyrus murmured, still distracted by the robot’s ethereal beauty.

“Well, sing it if you’d like.”

“I’d prefer to just listen to you.”

Mettaton smiled, always happy for an opportunity to sing. “Suit yourself…”

He improvised on the piano for a few more measures before switching back to the main melody:

_“Living for you,_

_It’s easy living, it’s easy to live_

_when you’re in love, and I’m so in love,_

_There’s nothing in life but you..."_

Mettaton’s singing voice couldn’t have differed more from the original, of course, but its low register and sultry smoothness complimented-- no, _enhanced,_ Papyrus decided-- what was already a beautiful song.

 _“_ _For you,_

_maybe I'm a fool, but it's fun..."_

Papyrus joined in singing impulsively, unable to resist the pull of the meandering melody...

 _“_ _People say you rule me with one_

_wave of your h--”_

…and quickly stopped with a astonished laugh when his warbling voice cracked, making Mettaton giggle affectionately beside him before taking back the reins.

_“Darling, it's grand!_

_They just don't understand_

_living for you,_

_It’s easy living, it’s easy to live_

_when you’re in love, and I’m…”_

Mettaton held the chord on the piano, the note hanging between them in the air as his eyes-- black like obsidian and glittering in the low light under impossibly fluffy lashes-- flicked up to look Papyrus directly in the face.  

_“...so in love,_

_There’s nothing in life but you.”_

The silence right after was deafening; deluged and crackling with desire. Mettaton and Papyrus held each other’s gaze, jaws slackened, for what felt like a sweet, romantic eternity before finally leaning in simultaneously as if drawn by a magnet. Mettaton’s head turned languidly to one side and he cradled the back of Papyrus’ skull in his broad palm as they kissed quietly in the semi-darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> Song: "Easy Living", Billie Holiday and Teddy Wilson orchestra  
> [My twitter! ](https://twitter.com/iqom96)


End file.
